Dire straits album cover money for nothing

#Dire straits album cover money for nothing plus#

Investors from outside the US are able to participate in the new scheme, which is technically a вЂњprivate syndicateвЂќ. He sees it in terms of, well, thatвЂ™s not working and yet the guyвЂ™s rich: thatвЂ™s a good scam.вЂќ I mean, this guy has a grudging respect for rock stars. In a 1985 interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Knopfler was quoted as saying: вЂњThe singer in Money for Nothing is a real ignoramus, hard hat mentality вЂ“ somebody who sees everything in financial terms. Lines in the song include вЂњSee the little faggot with the earring and the makeup вЂ¦ That little faggot got his own jet airplaneвЂќ, вЂњMoney for nothinвЂ™ and chicks for freeвЂќ and вЂњBanginвЂ™ on the bongos like a chimpanzeeвЂќ. Meanwhile, Money for Nothing вЂ“ a US number one in 1985 вЂ“ has in recent years run into censorship issues over its controversial lyrics, which could potentially limit airplay. The ChartMasters website noted earlier this year that while Brothers in Arms was the highest-selling rock album during the 1980s, вЂњit is losing ground, since Bon JoviвЂ™s Slippery When Wet, U2вЂ™s The Joshua Tree, Bruce SpringsteenвЂ™s Born In the USA and Guns NвЂ™RosesвЂ™ Appetite for Destruction are now all ahead of it, with total sales ranging from 46m to 50mвЂќ. Some may wonder about the potential returns that might be generated by Dire Straits royalties, bearing in mind that for some people they are a band inextricably linked to the 80s and the yuppie generation, and that, unlike many of their peers, they are no longer in existence. Knopfler, the bandвЂ™s lead singer and guitarist, is not involved in the investment scheme, although вЂњhe is aware of itвЂќ, the company said. Asked about the potential hazards, a spokesman said: вЂњAll investments have risk.вЂќ It said it expected the Dire Straits catalogue to produce a cash yield of 8% in the first year and added that it was forecasting a 12-15% annualised rate of return over 10 years. Royalty Exchange said music royalties were вЂњundervaluedвЂќ and that the older вЂњclassic rockвЂќ bands were of particular interest to investors.

#Dire straits album cover money for nothing plus#

That includes all six studio albums, including Brothers in Arms, the eighth best-selling album of all time in the UK, plus hits such as Sultans of Swing and Walk of Life, along with music videos, live albums and any existing or future best-of compilations. The investment offer has come about because Dire StraitsвЂ™ longtime former manager Ed Bicknell is selling off his share of the sound recording royalties generated by the bandвЂ™s entire back catalogue, together with solo releases from the band members Mark Knopfler and John Illsley. The company said the portion of the Dire Straits back catalogue available for sale earned $296,000 (ВЈ225,000) in the past 12 months but had earned royalties since 1978, and added that while the music industry grew 14% from 2015 to 2017, вЂњthe Dire Straits catalogue earnings grew 60% in that same timeframeвЂќ.

Much of that growth is down to the boom in music streaming, which has introduced heritage rock acts to new generations and prompted many older music fans to revisit the bands of their youth. Photograph: Shaun Best/ReutersДire StraitsвЂ™ heyday was the 1980s and the band split in 1995 but, according to Royalty Exchange, their back catalogueвЂ™s earnings вЂњare not only still growing but are outperforming the growth of the broader music industryвЂќ. In 1997 David Bowie raised $55m by creating so-called вЂBowie bondsвЂ™. To be eligible for the scheme, investors must have more than $1m (ВЈ760,000) of investable assets aside from their main home or an annual income of $200,000-plus, or a joint income of $300,000-plus. However, only those with deep pockets need apply. The portfolio includes the bandвЂ™s biggest hit Money for Nothing, which famously addressed the topic of rock stars earning millions of pounds by seemingly doing little more than playing the guitar or bashing a drum kit. The venture, from Royalty Exchange, a US-based company specialising in buying and selling royalties, confirms what Bowie and others realised some time ago: classic songs are not only the soundtrack to peopleвЂ™s lives вЂ“ they are also a potentially lucrative вЂњasset classвЂќ that can be packaged up and sold off to wealthy investors вЂ“ however much that idea might horrify fans.

First it was David Bowie selling his own вЂњBowie bondsвЂќ, and now fans of Dire Straits are being given the chance to invest in the bandвЂ™s multimillion-selling back catalogue.ДЄ new investment scheme has been launched that allows individuals, hedge funds and others to buy a share of the royalties that are paid out every time one of the British rock bandвЂ™s songs or albums is bought, downloaded, streamed or played on the radio.